Iran’s New Opportunity In Caspian Sea

Tehran, Sept 30, IRNA - 'Iran Daily' on Tuesday commenting on the just concluded meeting of the heads of state of Caspian Sea littoral states, held in the Russian city of Astrakhan, believes that this is the best opportunity for our country to use every potential and facility, suggested in the meeting, in line with the interests of the Iranian people. The English-language paper in its Opinion column was elucidating on the many ecological challenges being faced by the world’s biggest land-locked sea with certain states, which the paper believes, has caused serious damage to its rare biodiversity. This is while the Islamic Republic of Iran was the first country to propose the formation of an organization of Caspian Sea littoral states for the first time since the independence of these states from the Soviet Union to increase cooperation in the use of the sea’s resources and prevent its destruction. Earlier summits of the heads of state of Caspian Sea countries in Dushanbe and Tehran have not had tangible results in line with the common interests of the littoral states and their leaders focused on security and military issues. In Astrakhan, these countries discussed their common concerns. They reached agreements on economic and ecological issues. Iran, as one of the most important county in the region, has failed to use all of its geopolitical capacities in the Caspian Sea. Using these capacities depend on a geopolitical balance in relations between Iran and the world which has not happened so far. But, today the improvement of Iran’s relations with the West and also growing disputes between Russia and the West, especially the United States, will turn the talks in Astrakhan in favor of the Islamic Republic. Iran, in view of the great interests of its people in the Caspian Sea, should use all of its potentials and facilities in these talks. The use of the sea’s resources should be based on international law since these states have declared their commitment to the 1921 and 1941 accords signed between Iran and the Soviet Union, concluded the daily./end